STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Staten Island’s Albany delegation swept into the Todt Hill Friendship Club today, and in front of a boisterous crowd of more than 200 seniors, touted their success in restoring $22.5 million for senior centers in the first on-time state budget passed in five years.

But the two state senators and four assembly members cautioned there are no guarantees the city will keep their beloved center intact, saying they will now lean on the city to honor the facilities they called key to seniors’ quality of life.

"We are all here to hopefully present to you a gift," said Assmblyman Michael Cusick (D- Mid Island). "That is the first part of the battle. We need you to keep the pressure on."

If the governor had succeeded in shuffling discretionary Title XX money — federal funds that can go toward children or seniors — away from senior centers, the move would have jeopardized four Island senior centers among 101 citywide. With some Albany budgetary prestidigitation, the lawmakers were able to spare both senior and children’s services from cuts.

Staten Island senior citizen with a message for Mayor BloombergRoseann Scannapico, 73, whose own mother is 97, challenges Mayor Michael Bloomberg not to close the senior centers. She was one of more than 200 seniors at the Todt Hill Friendship Club yesterday to applaud Staten Island's Albany Delegation for restoring state funds to senior centers.

Still, the Todt Hill Friendship Club, Stapleton Senior Center, Forever Young Senior Center in St. George and the Great Kills Friendship Club could face the city’s budget ax.

Although city officials promised not to close the centers if the state produced its share of the money, similar pledges were broken last year when the city closed the South Beach Senior Center, the Berry Houses Friendship Club and the Mariners Harbor Senior Center, the lawmakers said.

The on-time budget this year will allow them to remain more local and put more muscle into the fight, they ensured.

"This was a tough budget, a lot of cuts and a lot of pain, a lot of difficult decisions needed to be made. But when the governor proposed sweeping the money out from the budget which supports this Friendship Club, we mobilized immediately," said state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island).

It costs roughly $86 million a year to run the city’s 256 senior centers across the five boroughs, including the 12 on Staten Island.

The funds for the centers are in the New York City Department for the Aging coffers, but the city’s budget process has yet to unfold, and anything could change during negotiations which typically last through late May or June.

"We’re very pleased that Title XX was adopted in the final budget. The cut would have had a significant impact on the seniors of New York City," said Christopher Miller, a spokesman for the Department for the Aging. "We’d like to thank everyone for their hard work for restoring these vital funds."

Seniors who have spent decades contributing to the community, paying taxes, and are a source of wisdom and living history, deserve to be treated with dignity, said the lawmakers.

The Senior Centers and Friendship Clubs provide, for many of the members, a reason to continue to be.

"I cannot stress how important it is to keep them open so these people have places to go," said Lee Vacarro, executive director of the Island’s centers. The seniors sent some 1,200 letters to Albany legislators and will now direct their energy toward city decision makers, she said. "What is going to happen to them if this place closes?"